By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director
FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- Pacific University took both games of a doubleheader from Willamette University on Saturday, April 17, as the Boxers won the first game, 13-5 on the run rule in five innings, and then slipped past the Bearcats in the second game, 4-3 in nine innings. Three of the four games in the Northwest Conference series went to extra innings.
In the first game, Pacific scored seven runs in the third inning to take an 11-5 lead. In the second game, Willamette pulled into a 3-3 tie with three runs in the top of the sixth, but the Boxers scored a run in the bottom of the ninth inning to win.
Willamette seniors Ashley Pender (2B, Reno, NV/North Valleys HS) and Victoria Bradshaw (Sr., OF, Discovery Bay, CA/Liberty HS) concluded their careers on Sunday.
Pender set four career school records for the Bearcats. Her career records are RBIs with 116, hits with 167, total bases at 260, and at bats with 461. She finished tied for second all-time at Willamette in games started (145) and tied for fourth in games played (146).
Boxers Score Big in First Game
Both teams put four runs on the scoreboard in the first inning of the first game. Each team recorded three hits during the stanza.
For the Bearcats, Mallory Asaro (Jr., SS, Rocklin, CA/Rocklin HS) doubled to drive in one run and Elaine Norcia (So., 1B, Santa Ynez, CA/Santa Ynez Valley HS) brought in the next run with a single. The third run was scored by Darian Gibson (Fr., OF, Newport Beach, CA/Calvary HS) on a passed ball. Kathryn Moore (So., 3B, Reno, NV/Robert McQueen HS) tacked on an RBI single.
In the bottom of the inning, Willamette committed two errors, which allowed the first and fourth runs to score. In between, Ashley Mitchell hit an RBI single and Marissa Reichard provided the Boxers with a sacifice fly.
Neither team scored in the second inning, but Willamette claimed a 5-4 lead in the top of the third. With one out, Hammitt walked. With two outs, Moore sent a single into right field. A fielding error on the play allowed Hammitt to score, while Moore went to third. Bradshaw reached base on catcher's interference and stole second. Moore and Bradshaw were left on base at the end of the inning.
Pacific charged into the lead with seven runs in the bottom of the third. Emily Tesdale, Rachel Roberts and Mitchell provided the Boxers with two-run singles during the inning.
The Boxers added two runs in the fourth inning and limited Willamette to just four batters in the fifth to earn the 13-5, run-rule win.
Madison Hedlund pitched the final 4 2/3 innings for Pacific and earned the win to improve to 2-0. She allowed just one run on two hits. Mitchell was 3 for 3 with two runs and three RBIs for the Boxers. Norcia and Moore each finished 2 for 3 with an RBI for Willamette.
Bearcats Battle Boxers for Nine Innings
The second game was a hard-fought battle at the end of a long four-game series. Pacific won both games on Saturday in eight innings at the WU Softball Field, 4-3 and 11-5. It took the Boxers nine innings to win the final game in Forest Grove on Sunday.
Pacific tallied the game's first run in the bottom of the third. With one out, Mitchell reached base on a bunt single. Quirena Natividad followed with an RBI double to right center. The Boxers increased the lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning with a leadoff homer by Megan Winans and an RBI single by Mitchell with two outs.
Willamette had just two hits in the first five innings, but pounded out four hits in the sixth to tie the game, 3-3. Alexia Pratt (Jr., OF, Roseville, CA/Woodcreek HS) doubled down the left field line with one out. Pender flied out to center field, before Alex Shields (Jr., C, Lake Forest, CA/El Toro HS) drove Pratt home with a single. Asaro belted a double to center, and Gibson provided a two-RBI single to left.
The Boxers left runners at second and third in the bottom of the sixth. Willamette filled the bases on walks issued to Shields, Asaro and Gibson with no outs in the eighth, but Pacific escaped the jam by recording three outs in a row on a pop-up, a fly out and a ground out.
With one out in the Pacific half of the ninth, Kylee Yamamoto singled to left. Reichard singled to right field, and then Winans struck out swinging. Tesdale hit a single to left, sending Yamamoto across the plate and giving the Boxers a 4-3 win.
Reichard pitched all nine innings and struck out six batters to register the win. She is now 17-6 on the season. Reanna Lancaster (Fr., LHP, Los Altos, CA/Mountain View HS) tossed a complete game for WU and fell to 7-4. Pacific outhit Willamette, 12-8.
Asaro was 3 for 3 at the plate for the Bearcats. She also scored one run. Gibson was 1 for 3 with two RBIs. For Pacific, Roberts, Mitchell, Natividad and Tesdale each earned two hits.
